Air raid sirens ring out in port city for first time in over a year; video shows interception; Salafist group claims responsibility.
A rocket shot out of the Gaza Strip was intercepted by the Iron Dome anti-missile system Tuesday night.
Air raid sirens rang out in the southern city of Ashdod and the surrounding area, the Israeli army said in a statement, and a rocket was shot down by Iron Dome.
Israeli police said on Twitter there were no reports of injuries or damage.
Sources in Gaza said the rocket was shot from the center of Gaza.
A Salafist group by the name of Shiek Amar Hadid claimed responsibility for the rocket attack on social media, charging that it was a response to the fatal shooting of a young Palestinian woman at a checkpoint in the West Bank last week. Hadeel al-Hashlamon, 18, was shot last Tuesday at a checkpoint in the city of Hebron. The military said she was attempting to stab a soldier when troops opened fire.
IDF sources said they believed the rocket fire was part of an internal power struggle between the Hamas terror group and smaller Salafist groups, the Walla news site reported.
Initial media reports had suggested two or more rockets were intercepted by the system. However video published to social media showed only a single interception.